Page 42 of Monster's Obsession

Yikes. Would we be obligated to visit Hell for family gatherings? Would he expect to give her away at our mating ceremony? Pretty sure the elves would not appreciate me inviting Satan to the elven woods.

“How did you figure out I was here?” Daruka demanded, glaring at the freaking devil. “Mom told me this was the one place you’d never find me.”

“And she would have been right. Except…” He plucked a phone with a bright red, heavy-duty case out of an interior pocket and waved it. “Social media.” He tapped the screen, his gaze scanning it for a moment before adding, “Someone named WolfBoy posted about this cool new chick at school with blue hair who was a total badass and a mermaid to boot. Couldn’t imagine that could be anyone other than my dear daughter.”

“WolfBoy?” Daruka repeated, her gaze swinging Krishna’s way.

He lifted his hands, palms facing out. “I had no idea theactualdevil was following me,” he protested. “There are dozens of profiles with that name.”

“Mine says ‘the real deal’ though,” Satan pointed out.

Daruka smacked her forehead.

“It’s time to go, Daruka,” the devil called out, his tone suddenly serious.

Every head in the building swiveled our way. Daruka was clutching the banister so fiercely her nails were carving half-moons into the wood.

“I thought you’d changed your mind,” she said, her voice wavering only a little. “The last minions you sent after me tried to kill me.”

“What?” Satan yelped, swinging around to face the cluster of demons at his back. “Anwir, Dagon, where are you?”

Two demons slowly raised their hands.

Satan pointed at them, and a moment later, two curls of smoke drifted on the wind and there were two scorch marks on the wooden bridge. And two fewer demons in the world.

“That wasn’t my intent,” he said, calmly, turning back to us while brushing imaginary lint from his shirt. “I can assure you.”

“I’m not going,” Daruka said, far more clearly and concisely than I was pretty sure literally anyone else would. But I guess if you were the daughter of the devil, you probably had a lot more confidence than the rest of us when dealing with the most powerful demon in the world.

“It’s time to take on your responsibilities,” the devil said, eyeing the interior of the ancient castle. He hadn’t yet stepped over the threshold. Was that because he couldn’t or simply hadn’t gotten around to it yet?

“Responsibilities?” I echoed. “What responsibilities?”

“Running the family business, of course,” the devil responded. He chuckled and pressed his fingers to his chest. “Well, notrunning it, running it. That’s my job. She’ll be assigned a small faction at first, to get her feet wet. Or hot, as the case may be.”

“A small faction…” I continued to stare at Daruka. “Definitely some steep expectations,” I echoed her earlier comment.

I shook my head, struggling with this news. “You’re going to Hell?” That was her plan? Well, hell. Here I thought we could figure out a way to live happily ever after. But nobody lived happily ever after in Hell.

“Not if I can help it,” Daruka muttered, and then abruptly rushed away, down the hall toward the classrooms.

Satan’s face contorted, but his gaze tracked her until she disappeared from view. He lifted his arms, hands curled like claws, and started chanting. The building shook with even more vigor than before.

Guess we knew what was causing it now.

That realization wasn’t comforting. How the hell were we supposed to defeat the devil?

“I will bring this castle down around their ears if you do not come out here and talk to me.” His voice amplified like he was using a microphone.

Oh shit! I bolted after Daruka.

I caught up to her in the Magical Transportation classroom.

“I know, I know,” she said before I could even open my mouth. “I need to get out there before he hurts anyone, but I’d rather do it on my own terms.” She waved at the nearest mirror. “Can you help me get this turned on?”

Despite the gravity of the situation, my lips twitched. “That’s not how they work. Where do you plan to go?”

“Just outside. Somewhere on the castle grounds.”

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